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Bebop Spoken There

Trevor Mires: ''My mum is a Dean Martin fan: I'm not, so I would grab my skateboard and get out of the house whenever I heard "Everybody Loves Somebody, Sometime." ". (Jazzwise, April 2025).

The Things They Say!

This is a good opportunity to say thanks to BSH for their support of the jazz scene in the North East (and beyond) - it's no exaggeration to say that if it wasn't for them many, many fine musicians, bands and projects across a huge cross section of jazz wouldn't be getting reviewed at all, because we're in the "desolate"(!) North. (M & SSBB on F/book 23/12/24)

Postage

17985(and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 306 of them this year alone and, so far, 62 this month (April 26).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Sun 27: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 27: Andrea Vicari Trio @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. Vicari (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Sun 27: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 27: Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Xenopoulos, Edis, Paul Susans, Russ Morgan.
Sun 27: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 27: JustKing Jones @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £17.50. JustKing Jones (alto sax, soprano sax); Jordan Williams (piano); Jason Clotter (bass); Malcolm Charles (drums). Ace NYC outfit!
Sun 27: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 27: Swing Manouche @ Warkworth Memorial Hall. 7:30pm. £15.00. Tickets from 01665 711388.
Sun 27: Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Xenopoulos, Edis, Ken Marley, Russ Morgan.

Mon 28: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 29: ???

Wed 30: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 30: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 30: International Jazz Day @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £16.00.; £14.00. adv.. Feat. Guido Spannocchi, John Pope & Steve Hanley + Take it to the Bridge participants + Open Mic Night participants.

MAY 2025

Thu 01: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Member’s Contribution.
Thu 01: Alabaster de Plume @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Thu 01: Living in Shadows + OUTRI @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Thu 01: The Shayo Experiment @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Shayo Oshodi & Liam Oliver.
Thu 01: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free.

Fri 02: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 02: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 02: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 02: Anna Reay & Deon Krishnan @ STACK, Seaburn. 4:30-6:15pm. Free.
Fri 02: Nauta @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 7:00pm. £7.50. A ‘Nauta’s House’ gig featuring Nauta & guests Shayo Oshodi & David Gray.
Fri 02: Spilt Milk @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 02: Dom Pipkin @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). Solo piano.
Fri 02: Abbie Finn Trio @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00. + bf.

Reviewers wanted

Whilst BSH attempts to cover as many gigs, festivals and albums as possible, to make the site even more comprehensive we need more 'boots on the ground' to cover the albums seeking review - a large percentage of which never get heard - report on gigs or just to air your views on anything jazz related. Interested? then please get in touch. Contact details are on the blog. Look forward to hearing from you. Lance

Monday, February 03, 2020

Joe McPhee Trio @ Bridge Hotel, Newcastle - Feb. 2

Joe McPhee (tenor sax); John Pope (bass); Paul Hession (drums).

Some meaningful drum effects, bass joins in, McPhee looks contemplative. He's an imposing figure. The heat intensifies, Joe remains impassive then, as Pope and Hession fade, the man of the hour blows a long note. He blows another and another followed by a few more. We're on the edge of our seats awaiting the killer punch...

It comes! Wham! Bang! The squeaks and the squalls, the notes that Adolphe Sax never dreamt his invention was possible of, the phrases that maybe Trane would have gasped at.


Sanity returns for awhile as Pope takes us on a short melodic interlude (remember that word - melodic -  you won't hear it again,)

McPhee is quite an amazing player, at times he appeared to be singing and playing saxophone at the same time! Is that possible? With Joe it is!

Hession attempts to saw his ride cymbal in half with a violin bow. the cymbal remains intact and the overall sound is, amazingly, very effective. Pope does some bowing on bass. The mood is quite sublime ...
... but not for long!

This time Joe isn't reaching for the moon he's heading for some outer galaxy that even Sun Ra never knew about then, just like that, we're back down to Earth for a few bars of serenity. But not for long though, we're soon back at the races. This isn't the Derby or the National, not even the Indy 500 but a race without a finish line - phew!

And so, after half an hour, the opening improvisation ended.

More intriguing sounds  followed. Three virtuoso players reaching out to the parts your average jazzer never reaches. The trick is to imagine that you'd never ever heard jazz/music/whatever before and that this was your first experience of jazz or whatever name it goes under - you may be pleasantly surprised.

I opted out after the first set which was no reflection on the performers but rather my own inability to take in what I'd already heard - I needed to reflect...

The sold-out house showed their appreciation by applauding vociferously reminding me how, back in my RAF days I was the only one who marched in step.

I may not yet have quite reached Damascus but it's getting closer...

As a footnote, I must add that McPhee is a fantastic player in his chosen idiom and all the more impressive in that he's blowing that horn with new dentures although  this also decreed that trumpet playing was off the agenda.

And, in case you think I've got tunnel vision - Pope and Hession were equally important both guys were right on the money. Hession is more than a drummer or even that highfalutin title percussionist - he's a musician!
Lance

1 comment :

David Gosling said...

Couldn't agree more and and it's a pity I missed you.And that you missed a great second set too.

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